Washer Hose Replacement: How to Install a New Washer Hose

When it comes to your washer, one of the most important parts that you should know about is the washer hose. These rubber hoses are the ones supplying hot and cold water while you are doing your laundry. The majority of the time, washer hoses are kept out of the view as they quietly do their function.

Basically, you just install them and forget. Well, that’s until they break anyway.

Once your drain hose breaks, it certainly turns into a nightmare that surely deserves all your attention. Otherwise, your home will suffer from significant water damage. In fact, one of the leading causes of insurance claims is due to a broken washer hose. So it should be in your best interest to check regularly in case you need a washer hose replacement.

How to Inspect Washing Machine Hoses

Inspection of your washer hoses on a regular basis will not only prevent a costly mess but it can also help you with your insurance company in case they break.

Even when you perform the most intensive home maintenance tasks, it’s not a full-proof plan. A weak part of the hose can turn into a major problem due to water pressure. However, routine maintenance and inspection can really go a long way in reducing the odds of major leakage.

The best routine is the one that works best for you. A good rule of thumb is to check the hoses during the first day of Spring, and then again on the first day of Fall. Regardless of your system, all that matters is that you check them on a regular basis.

What to Look For During Inspection?

Check the connections of the hose. All connections should be secure and display no signs of wear, leakage or rust.

Check the actual condition of the water hoses. Things to look for include cracks, bulges or severe wear and tear.

Find potential kinks in the hose. While washing, the unit can move. So the general rule is to allow 4 inches between the wall and the unit to prevent kinks. You might want to use a piece of wood between the washer and the wall to prevent the unit from drifting back.

How to Perform Water Hose Replacement

It’s a good thing that replacement washer hoses are relatively inexpensive and can be easily bought at your local hardware and home stores. If you want a hose with more durability, you can opt for braided metal hoses.

Here are the steps on how to remove the old hoses and install the new ones.

Removing Old Washer Hoses:

1. Disable the circuit breaker and unplug the washer’s plug from the outlet.

2. Pull the washer out so you can have enough space to work on.

3. Find the washer’s water supply valves which should be behind the unit. From here you should disable the hot and cold water supplies by turning the handles to the right. Hot water should have the red handle and a blue handle for the cold water.

4. Position a bucket beneath your working area and remove the hose one at a time. You can do this by turning the hose fittings counterclockwise using pliers. The hoses might still have some water, so drain them into the bucket.

Final Thoughts

That concludes our guide on how to properly perform a washer hose replacement. Hopefully, this article has helped you do a successful replacement.

Checking your washer hose on a regular basis is very important. It’s imperative that you replace the hose as soon as you see any signs of leak or tear. Otherwise, you will really hate yourself as you deal with a particularly nasty water damage.

Washing machine hoses are very affordable and are a breeze to install. You can do it yourself and no need to contact a repairman.